T E N N E S S E E   T I T A N S
Go-To Guy | Weakest Link | Burning Question | Offseason Movement

Glance Head coach: Jeff Fisher 2001: Results 2002: Draft picks Training camp: July 24 at Baptist Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn.  2002 Schedule Date  Vs.  Time  Sept. 8  PHI.  1 p.m.  Sept. 15  at Dal.  1 p.m.  Sept. 22  CLE.  1 p.m.  Sept. 29  at Oak.  4:05 p.m.  Oct. 6  WAS.  1 p.m.  Oct. 13  JAC.  1 p.m.  Oct. 20  Open     Oct. 27  at Cin.  1 p.m.  Nov. 3  at Ind.  1 p.m.  Nov. 10  HOU.  1 p.m.  Nov. 17  PIT.  1 p.m.  Nov. 24  at Bal.  1 p.m.  Dec. 1  at NYG  1 p.m.  Dec. 8  IND.  1 p.m.  Dec. 16  N.E.  9 p.m.  Dec. 22  at Jac.  1 p.m.  Dec. 29  at Hou.  1 p.m.

By B. Duane Cross, CNNSI.com

The best thing Tennessee can say about 2001: It's a new year.

Remember all the hoopla over adding Kevin Carter? That faint chuckle is coming from Mike Martz.

Remember Eddie George? He's the All-Pro running back who had averaged 1,369 yards in his previous five seasons.

Well, remember the Titans, because they're getting healthy and should be the odds-on favorite to win the new-look AFC South.

Toe surgery in early 2001 shortened George's stride -- and production -- which eventually led to an ankle injury that ultimately required surgery in January. The end result: a career-low 939 rushing yards at 3.0 yards per carry.

"I felt embarrassed just looking at it," George said of his '01 statistics. "Sometimes it didn't even look like me. I fell down easier, got knocked off my feet more and didn't break tackles like I have in the past.

"I listen to my body, and right now my body says I feel good."

As for Carter, he had only two sacks last season. Not exactly what Tennessee had in mind when it traded the No. 29 pick in the 2001 draft for a bookend to Jevon Kearse.

"I think a full offseason will be the best thing for Kevin," Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said. "He had knee surgery early in the offseason, before he came to us. Then he had an infection in the leg. Suddenly it's June, and Kevin hasn't done anything in our [offseason] program.

"Then he has a good month, and then on his third or fourth pass rush of training camp, he pulls his groin. I just don't think he ever had his legs under him. Put that with a player who just doesn't want to make a mistake, and he may have played tentative early in the season. ... But he was within a forearm of 12 sacks. I don't believe Kevin is finished or hit the wall or anything like that. I think he will come back and have a big year."

The Titans lost starting defensive tackles in Jason Fisk and Josh Evans in free agency. The team is banking on first-round draft choice Albert Haynesworth to fill the void for those two and give a middle rush to complement Carter and Kearse off the edges. Also, safety Blaine Bishop was jettisoned in favor of Lance Schulters.

"Teams nowadays can improve significantly from one year to the next," Fisher said. "The great thing about this deal here is that you have new teams every year representing the conferences in the Super Bowl, and it just shows the system is working.

"Free agency and parity around the league give everybody an equal shot. If you have a good nucleus of players on your football team -- young players, stars and playmakers -- you have as good a shot as anybody."

Fact Since 1997, Steve McNair leads all QBs in rushing yards with 2,596. Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart is second (2,103) and Donovan McNabb of Philadelphia is third (1,424).

Steve McNair, QB -- With the added backfield depth, McNair becomes the most import part of the Titans' offense.

Should George stumble, Robert Holcombe and Skip Hicks can step in -- especially since bruising fullback Greg Comella has joined the team to give the tailback a true front-line blocker.

But lose McNair? The fat lady will raise the roof in Music City.

McNair had minor offseason shoulder surgery and said he feels good; Some even say he's throwing the ball as good as ever. That's good news for Tennessee, after all, McNair had his best season in 2001, finishing as the league's fifth-ranked passer.

During the team's post-draft minicamp, Fisher sloughed off any talk of McNair's shoulder being an issue. "Steve's throwing is fine. He's done a lot of throwing over the last few weeks and didn't have any problems with the throws out here and feels good. When you talk to him he'll tell you that the shoulder feels better right now than in a couple of years."

After having his shoulder cleaned out, McNair got a jumpstart on the '02 season. "You never realize how many injuries you have or how much pain you're going through during the season.

"This is a physical game and you have to realize that you're not always going to be healthy. ... It's doing great," he said. "I feel a lot better at this point this year than I did last year. I feel like good things are about to come my way and our team's way."

Fact Since the franchise was born in 1960, the Oilers/Titans have had a Guido, a Florian, a Lemanski, even an Odie. But never a Rocky. They now have two, both drafted in April.

Linebackers -- They aren't exactly names that strike fear into the heart of opposing offensive coordinators: Keith Bulluck, Randall Godfrey, Peter Sirmon, Byron Thweatt, Frank Chamberlin, Rocky Calmus, Rocky Boiman, Antuian Bradford, Brad Kassell, Nate Morrow.

In fact, they could be the most anonymous collection of LBs in the league. More importantly, they must improve to help shore-up the No. 25 overall -- last against the pass -- defense.

Godfrey is the most recognizable of the lot, and that stems more from his days with Dallas. After posting a career-high 98 tackles and tying his best mark with three sacks in 2000, Godfrey's numbers fell to 49 and one in '01.

"Because of the numbers [players] we have and the situations we have at a number of different positions-- the strong safety, center, outside linebacker, and it's very competitive for backup spots as well," Fisher said.

There has been speculation that Godfrey will move from the middle to an outside position, but Fisher isn't biting just yet. "Not at this point. At this point we're going to look at the young guys, in addition to Peter [Sirmon]."

Bullock will be the team's left outside LB, and Fisher has high hopes for the third-year player. "It's his job to lose. He made a lot of plays in the number of plays he played in last year," Fisher said. "In retrospect, we should have probably played him a little bit more. He will be on the field for us.

"Athletically, he has hips like a safety. He can move, and he's graceful on the field in and out of cuts. He instinctively can slip around blocks and make plays. He studies, he's smart and he applies what he learns in the classroom to the field. ... We drafted Keith knowing that eventually he was going to be a full-time starter."

Will a big-play WR step up, please?

Fact Frank Wycheck holds the franchise record with at least one reception in 87 consecutive games through the end of the 2001 season.

Yes, but it may not be someone currently on the roster. After the June 1 cuts, Keenan McCardell, Antonio Freeman or Derrick Alexander would be a welcomed addition to the Titans.

But if help comes from a player already on the roster, keep an eye on Justin McCareins, a second-year player from Northern Illinois who played in four games last season. "He showed the capability of making the big play and that's what we expect to see from him," Fisher said.

"He can defeat the press, do those kinds of things, and he can separate. He's obviously going to be on the field in some way. His contribution at the receiver position is going to be unlimited, and we're expecting a lot of good things from him from a special teams stand point as well."

Derrick Mason posted his first 1,000-yard season, including a career-high nine touchdowns. Kevin Dyson, entering his fifth year, also had a career year, posting 825 yards and seven TDs.

Fisher appreciated Mason and what he brings to the offense. "He runs routes, he's very polished, and he's very consistent.

"This is one of the better groups -- it's probably the best group -- we've had since I've been here as far as depth and potential at the receiver position."